The murder of seven-month-old Aaden Moreno stands as a haunting example of what happens when our protective systems fail those they're designed to protect. Just days after a Connecticut judge denied a restraining order that would have protected the infant and his young mother, 21-year-old Tony Moreno took baby Aaden to the Arrigoni Bridge and threw him 90 feet into the waters below.

We walk through the devastating timeline of events that led to this tragedy. Nineteen-year-old Adrianne Oyola had documented a pattern of escalating abuse from her ex-boyfriend - verbal attacks, physical intimidation, controlling behavior, and most disturbingly, explicit threats that he could "make them both disappear." Despite these red flags, the judge dismissed the extension of the restraining order, characterizing their troubled relationship as mutual immaturity rather than recognizing the dangerous power dynamics at play.

Years later, Adrianne continues fighting for accountability, pursuing legal action against the Department of Children and Families for their absence at the crucial restraining order hearing and their failure to conduct safety assessments after custody was granted. Her struggle reminds us that justice isn't just about punishment after tragedy strikes—it's about creating systems that recognize danger before it's too late. 

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/hearing-transcript-in-the-adrianne-oyola-case/6f18fc5d-7a4e-4be2-9e7d-f87098c3d062/

https://www.cga.ct.gov/2021/juddata/tmy/2021HJ-00233-R000326-Moreno,%20Aaden-TMY.PDF

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/mom-testifies-at-trial-of-man-accused-of-killing-infant/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/affidavit-filed-by-adrianne-oyola/35e47462-b83f-4127-b2a3-a5d7390751d3/

https://www.wkrn.com/news/father-sends-chilling-texts-before-7-month-old-son-thrown-from-bridge/amp/

https://www.courant.com/2016/07/06/mother-of-child-thrown-from-bridge-wants-to-sue-dcf/

https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/ct-dcf-lawsuit-arrigoni-bridge-middletown-20268463.php

https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us/father-gets-70-years-for-throwing-baby-into-connecticut-river-idUSKBN18S3VL/

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Cover art by Laura Swift Dahlke
Music by Tim Crowe